Why I Blog About Africa?

There is a meme picking up in the blogosphere in which the question is asked: "Why do You write about Africa?" I thought I would observe it from a distance until my friend, Mulumba Lwatula, asked me directly in his blog.

BH Magazine, an online lifestyle publication, was founded from a common desire between friends (Chilu Lemba, Lubinga Chinungo, Nachumi Yambala and Mupwaya Mutakwa) and I to share any popular news we received with regards to the popular urban lifestyle in Zambia. I lived in South Africa at the time and quicly grew tired of reading the same old ominous articles on Africa in international online news publications.

I'm a story teller. One who enjoys particularly to share good news - a trait I may have inherited from my paternal Grandfather who was a Reverand with the Lutheran Church of Central Africa. While I am not in denial of our need as continent to address the numerous social injustices that set us back, I do fervently believe that it would be a tragedy if we didn't acknowledge our successes or celebrate the unique circumstances that make Mother Africa the gracious benevolent lady that she is.



Where else do you get the opportunity to meet a legend like Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka in person and hear him explain first hand how he got out of his chauffeur driven car in the middle of heavy Lagos traffic to jump on an Okada (motorcycle taxi) only so that he could make it in time for the studio recording of a talk show interview? Where else do you get to meet celebrated people like the late Miriam "Mama Afrika" Makeba, Miss South Africa, Miss Zambia, TY Bello, D-Rex (I could go on name dropping shamelessly if you asked me to - lol!) and strike up conversations with each one of them without having to negotiate your way around burly body guards that surround the celebrities we see on the E! or MTV? (LOL!) Where else can you strike a match over coal to grill your meat while you down your favourite juice or brew without having to send out a memo to the neighbourhood six weeks in advance? Where else can you take a walk down the streets knowing that the $1 in your pocket could make a difference for the lady you hand it to? Only in Africa.

If I could borrow from the title of the late Steve Bantu Biko's collection of written work titled "I Write What I Like," I'd gladly let everyone know what to expect in mine since ...

... I love Africa!

It's my responsibility now to pick the next lot to continue this meme ...

• Chilu Lemba
• Itumeleng Sedumedi
• Osagie Osarenkhoe
  
• Tosyn Bucknor